After nearly five years, I have decided to leave my job in medical weight management to practice a Health at Every Size® (HAES®) approach.
Here’s why:
Dieting does more harm than good. Research shows that dieting is more likely to lead to weight gain than weight loss. A review of 31 weight loss studies found that dieting was ineffective at producing long term weight loss, and one-third to two-thirds of dieters gained more weight than they lost (Mann et al, 2007). Calorie restriction leads to preoccupation with food, binge eating and weight obsession.
Weight loss messages contribute to weight stigma. Weight loss messages perpetuate the idea that anyone can lose weight, and that “overweight” people are lazy or lack willpower. In reality, weight is determined by a complex interaction between genes, environment and social influences. Once a set-point weight range is established, the brain works hard to defend it (Sumatran and Proietto, 2013). Size diversity should be respected and embraced, just like other types of diversity.
Weight loss is not necessary for health improvement. People who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and practice other forms of self-care can improve their health, without losing weight (Matheson et al. 2012; Schaefer and Magnuson, 2014.)
Every parent and dietitian should read Ellyn Satter’s 
We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition, We Can! and the We Can! logos are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Participation by Nicole Geurin, RD does not imply endorsement by DHHS/ NIH/ NHLBI.
Autumn is officially here. School has started and our schedules are tight. Some evenings it’s difficult to gather the entire family for a meal, much less find the time to prepare one! How do you ensure that healthy eating stays on top of your priority list?
Write out a menu plan of what you want to eat and when. Then write down any ingredients for those dishes that you don’t already have at home and you’ve just filled out your shopping list! Choosing all the meals and snacks in advance will enable you to make sure that everything you need to fix these dishes is purchased, saving you time by avoiding extra trips later in the week.
There is even a special section of recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less! Here are two great recipes calling for autumn produce to get your meal planning started, 
Try cutting food into fun shapes using small cookie cutters or just a paring knife. Red bell peppers make pretty hearts or butterflies, and try turning yellow ones into stars. Several pre-cut and portion-packaged fruit & veggie items can also be found in your favorite supermarket. They provide a quick and convenient alternative to cleaning and trimming things yourself when packing lunch in a hurry. 
Pack lunchbox items in fun, kid-sized containers. Colorful small plastic bowls with lids are just perfect for toting child-friendly amounts of food. Put lettuce, tomato slices and pickles in a separate plastic baggie and let the kids add these items to their sandwiches right before they eat them. This keeps the sandwich from getting soggy. Toss your child’s juice box in the freezer before packing it. It will thaw enough to drink by lunchtime and help keep other items in their lunchbox cool until then. Make sure that the juice box you choose is 100 percent juice, not all of them are. 
Like New Year’s Day, the first day of school is a time to begin again, a time to set new goals and commit to small changes for the better. One of those changes should be eating more fruits and vegetables. 
Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD 